Crow
by cherripantiez
Summary: 'Homra. The most feared gang in Shizume City. And that guy up the front – that's Suoh Mikoto, the almighty red king.' AU, Misaki's past and his life during middle school, as well the development of his friendship with Fushimi and his entrance into Homra. Yata-centric. Cute angsty times and violence (eventually).
1. Chapter 1

Summary: 'Homra. The the most feared gang in Shizume City. And that guy up the front – that's Suoh Mikoto, the almighty red king.'  
Yata Misaki has always wanted something more out of his boring, middle school life, when suddenly in early spring his wish comes true. Surrounded by crooks and gangs Misaki is thrown into a dangerously new world, one controlled by supposed kings wielding enormous power. Then one night he comes face to face with the real thing, the Red King himself, and in an instant Misaki's life changes in ways he could never have imagined.

AU, Misaki's joining of Homra and the beginning of his and Fushimi's friendship. Later angst and violence and stuff because angst and violence is fun :3

* * *

**Chapter 1**

At first he had tried to keep it a secret from them. Sneaking out in the early hours of the night, returning home in the early hours of the morning. For months they never knew. It was invigorating, adrenaline pumping through his veins each time he slipped through his bedroom window, his shaking hands clenching tightly around the board of the sill when he pulled himself up the next morning. Of course it was tiring, and his face showed it. But it didn't matter. He felt like the whole world was his own. He belonged on those streets, his board solid and reassuring under his feet, pulling him along without pain or effort. If it had continued this way, he would have been content. Although living a life of a lie, the escape into the extraordinary was too great to ignore. It was freedom, it was exciting, it was his own.

'Misaki!' A woman's voice broke through his dreams and Yata Misaki was suddenly awake. He cracked his eyes open slightly, only to again tightly shut them as he was exposed to the bight yellow light of morning. Grumbling, Misaki rolled over, hoping to ignore his mother's calls from the kitchen.

'Mi~sa~ki,' his mother called again, drawing out the sounds in that irritating way of hers. With a loud _tch_ Misaki shot upright, throwing his covers off himself and stalking out of the room. Poking his hear around the corner in the kitchen he glared at the back of his mother's apron.

'What?' he said sulkily. Smiling, the ginger woman turned around and indicated the frying pan she was currently holding. 'Breakfast,' she said, still smiling. His glare fading slowing from his face at the site of his mother's smile, Misaki averted his eyes in embarrassment and nodded once before slinking back to his room to change.

Rubbing his eyes in an attempt to rid them of his tiredness, Misaki pulled on his uniform, grabbing his back from beneath a pile of dirty clothes and hurrying to return to the kitchen. As his made to leave however, he caught sight of his face in the mirror hanging opposite his dresser. His ginger hair stuck up in small tuffs, and dark rings encircled his eyes. His skin was pale and feverish, his cheeks tinted a light pink while beneath his white collared shirt the edge of a collarbone poked out, indicating his slightness. For the first time finally realizing how poor his health was getting, Misaki could only stare in shock at his reflection. He had no reason to look like he did. He and his mother were well off my a long way, three good meals a day plus snacks and more. His mother was a good woman, he was a good enough kid in the eyes of most people, so why?

Turning away from the mirror, Misaki smiled to himself. It didn't really matter how he looked anyway, as long as everyone else thought him to be a normal middle schooler. Sure, he had been getting comment about his obvious lack of sleep and loss of weight, but that could be attributed to other factors, right? He had midterms coming up, lack of sleep could be from his attention to studying. And his weight? Well that could be to do with an increase in stress. The smile remaining on his face, Misaki silently reveled in the last few months of his life. His life couldn't be better, this was too amazing! If Misaki could continue hiding this secret from his mother, teachers and members of his class, he didn't have anything to worry about.

The one person Misaki was most wary of at school was a fellow classmate with dark brown hair. Coming across as the nerdy loner type, Misaki had been following this guy around ever since he began his night escapes at the beginning of the school year. It wasn't because he was afraid of the guy discovering his secret, it was more the fact that unlike his other classmates the loner hadn't bothered commenting on his sudden change in appearance or attitude. Misaki wasn't quite sure why, but it pissed him off.

When the bell finally sounded for lunch, Misaki grabbed his books and shoved them hurriedly into his bag before leaping out of the classroom, earning some exasperated stares from his fellow classmates. Sprinting down the corridor to the stares, Misaki focused hard on the dark, lanky figure ahead of him. Cursing the school under his breath for not letting him use his skateboard down the corridors, Misaki ran up the stairs two steps at a time, before finally pushing the door open and falling - quite out of breath - onto the roof.

'Hey!' he called angrily. 'You..oi-haa' Resting his hands on his knees Miskai gulped down large gasps of air. He raised a hand to point menacingly at the dark figure before him. 'What are – hngh – you doing – haa – here, huh?'

'Me?' the figure asked innocently.

'Who the – hah – fuck else..smart ass?'

The figure shrugged half heartedly, turning away from Misaki with disinterest, causing the ginger the seethe behind him. Finally regaining his breath, Misaki stormed towards the brunette. Grabbing the back of his shirt collar, Misaki yanked him around to he was facing him before planting a solid punch on the other kid's jaw. Eyes widening slightly in surprise, the lanky brunette stumbled backwards a step however to Misaki's displeasure, he remained on his feet. Pressing his palms on his slowly swelling jaw, the brunette glowered at Misaki in a way that seemed to appeared apathetic. Shocked, Misaki released to taller boy's collar, letting his clenched fists drop to his sides instead

'Why'd you hit me? I don't even know your name,' The brunette said simply, without emotion. Misaki's brow furrowed in anger, before creasing in confusion. _Huh, but they'd been classmates for months. Did this loser really not know his name?_ Not sure whether he should be pissed the smart ass didn't know his name, confused before he should know his name, or embarrassed because he's kid a guy for no reason, Misaki shook his clenched fists impatiently before stamping his feet and glaring up at the taller boy in front of him.

'Yata Misaki!' he shouted, before looking away to hide his blush.

Peeking a glance back at the brunette, he saw an eyebrow raise in what could perhaps be described as astonishment, although the taller boy's facial muscles appeared unable to produce an expression much more than apathetic disinterest, before replying with:

'Fushimi Saruhiko.'

Misaki said nothing in response, instead choosing to stare at his feet. Realizing his tough-guy attempts had been quickly destroyed by some nerd apparently more lightly built than he was, was more than Misaki could handle. Without giving the brunette more than a second glance, the ginger turned around and stalked off, in search of someone else's attention.

That night began like any other. After dinner Misaki said goodnight to his mother, shut the door of his bedroom and quickly slipped out of his uniform to replace it with his far more comfortable shorts and white shirt. Tucking his skateboard under his arm and switching his off his bedroom light, Misaki quietly pushed his bedroom window up before sliding easily outside onto the small metal stairway. Remembering not to look down (although his almost always did), Misaki slide the window shut and preceded making his careful way down the steps from the fifth story apartment and to steady ground.

Pulling his board in front of him and flicking his wrist so it span obediently to the ground, Misaki readied his feet and gazed about him. The lights of downtown Shizume city shone brightly ahead of him, while to the east his saw the soft glow of the docks and warehouse blocks. Grinning like an idiot, body itching with adrenaline and excitement. Planting both feet firmly on his board he pushed off, traveling quickly along the flat pavement and towards the city lights he loved so much. Zipping through alley ways and between buildings, Misaki gliding effortlessly down the crowded city streets. He knew every short court out here, new every hole, crevice, alley. At night, the streets were his home, a house of lights and fire and danger. The streets offered Misaki every ounce that life had to give him plus more. He could study and he could smile politely and he could find himself a job worthwhile and maybe a nice family but none of that couldn't come close to comparing with this.

Jumping into the busy street Misaki weaved expertly through the traffic, ignoring the angry honks aimed his way, before gliding back onto the pavement and down another alley leading to the docks. This part of the city was far quieter, the streets less crowded. Low brick buildings lined the streets, their windows dark and foreboding to most ordinary pedestrians. But to Misaki this area was almost as exciting as the city center, despite it's lack of direction commotion and flashing lights. Skipping down another narrow alley way, Misaki finally arrived at his destination. Just outside the docks was a collection of mostly empty warehouses, the hub for illicit and gang activity. Seemingly quite a bit separate from this illegal hub was Misaki's destination – a smallish building with a tin roof and cracked steel walls. The mostly glassless windows appeared gaping and dangerous, exposing the uneasy darkness within. But Misaki was far from afraid.

Skating around the front entrance of the building, Misaki made his way through the gate on the north end of the warehouse, swerving to avoid the occasional debris and junk. Up ahead was a back area, what could be called a garden of sorts if the warehouse was described as a house; surrounded by a tall steel fence and lain with rough red bricks. A fire had been started in a pit in the center of the area, casting wavering shadows and odd flickering lights across and around the space. Around the fire there was a small crowd of men and women of varying ages. At the sound of Misaki's voice they looked up and made various greetings.

'He~ey, Misaki-chan,' one guy called cheerfully, slinging an arm around Misaki's neck. 'Right on time as always!'

'Beat it, Ryousuke,' Misaki snapped, but he didn't shrug the arm away.

'Aaaw, don't be that way Misaki-chan, we're buddies, right?'

'Quit calling me that and I'll think about it, huh!'

Ryousuke laughed and bumped his shoulder against Misaki's playfully before removing his arm and grabbing the ginger's instead, pulling him along to the rest of the crowd.

'Hey, Misaki-chan, the boss has an awesome job lined up for you, can't wait to start.' Ryousuke turned to Misaki and beamed brightly. A few years older than Misaki and surprisingly more boisterous, Ryousuke pushed back a flop of dyed blond hair as he pulled the ginger towards a burly man sitting in the corner of the outside space. The crowd around the fire followed the pair, leaning in the overhear the possible exchange between the two boys and their leader.

Once approaching the older seated man, both Ryousuke and Misaki bent on their knees and bowed their heads respectfully.

'Good evening, Shidou-san,' Ryousuke began formally. 'Yata Misaki and Honda Ryousuke are ready to accept our mission.'

Peeking at the man from beneath his bowed head, Misaki gazed at his leader, Shidou, otherwise known as the feared Shiro-do, with admiration. This man, whom he rarely heard spoke, was the reason for Misaki's sudden renewal during the past few months. A man seemingly void of energy or effort (_much like that Fushimi_, Misaki realized suddenly) Shidou represented everything Misaki hoped for – excitement, power, strength, purpose. Under the great Shiro-do not only did Misaki feel he had a true reason in this world but finally a man who could be proud of him. Living a life devoid of ny masculine influence, Shidou gave Misaki what his mother could not – the desire to not only satisfy and be cared for, but the desire to impress. Misaki's mother loved him, cherished him even, but what Misaki needed was a reason which he felt his mother and normal life could not give him.

'A newly emerged gang has taken control of the Nishigawa-Houka region of the eastern prefecture,' Shidou began, 'in line with our third base of operations. Rival gangs have already attempted infiltration but for unknown causes none have been able to gain access. Your job is to observe – and only observe – the attempt of the yakuza section known as _Satsujin_, which sources have told us will begin at 11pm. Return back by 2am. That is all.'

With that, following Ryousuke's lead, Misaki said his thanks and raised his head, before turning and following the blonde back through the crowd. Once they were out of earshot Misaki let out a loud **whoop** and he leapt in the air, clutching tightly at his skateboard. Ryousuke, a bemused look on his face, clamped Misaki hard on the back before once again beaming with happiness.

'Alright!' he shouted, and the two high fived as they heading out of the warehouse and towards the dull glow of the eastern docks.

Rousuke and Misaki crept quietly towards the Nishigawa warehouse, bats in hand. Misaki had his skateboard tucked under his left arm while he carried the steel baseball bat in his right. Being unable to ride is board during the journey towards Nishigawa had been irritating to put it mildly but it was their mission not to be seen. Misaki grumbled softly, but only hoisted his board higher.

Once they reached the vicinity of the warehouse, a mere five meters between themselves and the back windows, Ryousuke motioned for them to settle down and begin the observation. Conveniently located on the corner of a three-way junction just outside the docks and on the western end of the major eastern prefecture of Shizume City, the boys location was a perfect observation point. Able to see the road on all sides minus the front, but high enough to see any cars pull up on the road lining the front of the building, as well as angled perfectly to allow access to the inside of the warehouse and the main rooms due to the abnormal amount of windows and sliding panels, Ryousuke had chosen their spot extremely well.

Ryousuke made a downward motion, signaling Misaki should put his head down. Grinning broadly in both agreement and excitement, Misaki ducked enough so he could still see three sides of the roads and the junction to their left. Misaki checked his watch – 10:50pm, it was almost time. Looking up, clenching his fists to stop his hands shaking, Misaki glimpsed shadows moving across the empty street. Feeling somewhat overcome with excitement, he grabbed the fabric of Ryousuke's shirt and yanked it furiously in order to get his attention. Ryousuke nodded, his own excitement evident in the way he tightened his jaw in order to stop himself form beaming and rushing out with impatience. Tightening the hold of his bat, Misaki raised himself on his elbows and leaned down the small incline they were lying on in order to see better.

Below him, Misaki counted five shadows approaching the warehouse. Raising himself higher so he could glimpse their faces Misaki's forehead creased in puzzlement. Motioning to Ryousuke who was also watching the group profusely, Misaki indicated the group. Ryousuke nodded slowly. He knew.

Unlike other rival gangs this group was seemingly walking into a raid with little cover and little care. They stood in the open, in view of the many windows lining the walls of the Nishigawa warehouse, and they moved as a group. There was a lot of them, but not enough for what could be a planned full front attack. Misaki didn't understand. Raids he'd been apart of with Shidou occurred under cover of darkness and in pairs. Full front attacks were normally averted, because of their reliance on force that was always assisted by high numbers, of which Shidou resented using, and the unreliability of said force against other gangs and the yakuza. Shidou was old-fashioned, albeit thorough. Member of his gang rarely used guns or mechanical weapons, preferring to use the ambush/guerilla style.

None of the actions of this group matched anything Misaki had been taught by Ryousuke, Shidou or the other gang members, and contradicted everything he had observed in his past few months under the guidance of Shidou. Misaki watched with fascination as the five continued moving forward at what appeared to be a leisurely pace. Although he couldn't be sure do to the dim light emitted from the docks to the east and the absence of the moon, Misaki spotted the leader of the group, a tall man with fiery red hair. He saw the sparks of a cigarette being lit and the cloud of smoke that billowed around the man and he exhaled. As though aware he was being watched, the redhead suddenly glanced up at where Misaki was hiding, staring Misaki down with a pair of deep amber eyes. Misaki swallowed suddenly, unease creeping through him but for some reason he couldn't look away. He was fascinated by those eyes, and that apparent red aura that seemed to surround the man in a haze. Misaki wasn't sure if it was a trick of the light or if it was really there, but the aura appeared before him as warm and comforting – safe but immensely powerful.

Suddenly Ryousuke's closed fist slammed down on the top of Misaki's cranium, caused him to lie facedown in the dirt. Rubbing his head furiously, Ryousuke smacked him again a finger to his lips and he hissed: 'What are you doing idiot, we're not supposed to be seen!'

Shrugging out of Ryousuke's grip, Misaki hissed back, 'You're the idiot! Haven't you realized something's up with them? What kind of gang just strolls in, huh?'

Ryousuke said nothing, watching the site below him.

'It's pretty freaking weird, don't you think?' Misaki hissed, trying to get his partner's attention. Misaki watched Ryousuke as he observed the group below them, his own eyes widening as the blondes suddenly gasped in realization.

'What the hell is it?' Misaki asked. 'Ryousuke? The fucks wrong?'

'It's Homra,' Ryousuke said simply, seemingly dumbfounded. He leant back in simple astonishment, as though he was surprised but impressed all at the same time.

'Eh, Homra?' Misaki pressed. 'They a gang or something?'

Ryousuke gave Misaki a sharp look for his dumb ignorance, however it couldn't be avoided. Two years his senior Ryousuke had seen a lot more action on the streets than Misaki had, especially with the ginger's comfortable home life. Feeling ridiculously stupid for not realizing who the group was nor what Homra was, Misaki fell back against the dirt and continued watching the group below him.

'Homra,' Ryousuke whispered beside him. 'The most feared gang in Shizume City. And that guy up the front – that's Suoh Mikoto, the almighty red king.'

**AUTHOR'S NOTE  
**hi hi hi, sorry this is long and not a whole lot happens, totally an impulse write and i have a terrible writing style which makes it impossible for me to say anything without going on for paragraphs whelp. i am totally aware i haven't explained yata's situation in detail, that was sort of the point :3 but basically i was inspired to write this because of that audio between yata and kamamoto? i don't know if it was a drama cd or what but yata was making rice and he mentions his mother and i just loved the way he mentions her i dont know why, but since then i've always wanted to know what yata's relationship with his mother was because i think secretly he's a bit of a mummy's boy (i like to think so anyway it makes him cuter than he is now - if that's even possible). also i apologise for my representation of yata, i know he doesn't appear as loud and BAM in your face as he's often represented as, nor is he as tsundere as some people like to write him as (not that i have a problem with tsun-yata, tsun-yata is cute too), but because i've set this way before the anime and even before yata joins homra i had to fill in a lot of gaps about his character in a way that made him seem like the yata we know and the baby 14 year old yata we don't. to do that i used myself as an example (dont hate me) because im a cancer as well and i associate myself with many of his attributes so quirks like how i mentioned after his confrontation with fushimi he ran off to find attention from people who know him is an example of that, where i think yata loves attention and praise, both from people he respects (shidou and later mikoto) and people he wants to respect him (fushimi to an extent and in this case ryousuke and his fellow classmates), but in a way that's different from fushimi's desire for yata's attention, like yata just wants to do good ad have people like him you know, (i don't know).

sorry this note turned out long as well, maa bad, anyway please read it i hope you like and you read on to future chapters thank you yayaya 3


	2. Chapter 2

Summary: 'Homra. The most feared gang in Shizume City. And that guy up the front – that's Suoh Mikoto, the almighty red king.'  
Yata Misaki has always wanted something more out of his boring, middle school life, when suddenly in early spring his wish comes true. Surrounded by crooks and gangs Misaki is thrown into a dangerously new world, one controlled by supposed kings wielding enormous power. Then one night he comes face to face with the real thing, the Red King himself, and in an instant Misaki's life changes in ways he could never have imagined.

AU, Misaki's joining of Homra and the beginning of his and Fushimi's friendship. Later angst and violence and stuff because angst and violence is fun :3

* * *

**Chapter 2**

Misaki's phone had been vibrating on and off for five minutes now. Not once did he check for messages or calls, as his gaze remained stuck on the group of five below him. Out of the five, Ryousuke had been able to identify two others: Kusanagi Izumo, famous for owning an English-style bar in the city and rumored to be the Red Kings second-in-command; and Kamamoto Rikio, who had apparently been a classmate of his in his first year of middle school. Squinting, Misaki tried to make out the faces of the three identified, as well as the remaining two. One man he saw had light brown or blonde hair – it was difficult to tell in the dark – and stood towards the back of the group and out of the way. The final member appeared so dark and encased in shadow Misaki failed to catch a glimpse of his face at all. Staring until his eyes began to sting, Misaki swallowed down an odd feeling not dissimilar to nostalgia, but something much more recent. Had he been a member of another gang Shidou had fought against?

Beside him, Ryousuke was watching the group with obvious unease. The five had stopped their approach and now stood close to the warehouse however apparently not close enough to attract sufficient attention. The blond bartender, Kusanagi, appeared to be conversing with the fiery haired leader, while the other three waited patiently for further instructions.

Misaki glanced at his watch.

'Ryousuke, it's almost 11.15, what should we do?'

'Keep quiet and keep watching,' Ryousuke whispered back. 'Shidou told us not to make any moves, and this is Homra.'

'If Homra's so fucking scary shouldn't we tell Shidou-san? Pretty sure he might've mentioned it if the _most feared gang in Shizume_ was about the raid the one next to _our_ base.'

'Shut up and watch, Misaki-chan.'

'Don't call me that! That's what my mother calls me.'

Ryousuke grinned menacingly. 'Mi~sa~ki-cha~n?'

'Fuck off creep!' Misaki elbowed Ryousuke hard in the ribs that caused him to burst into a fit of silent laughter, the ginger apparently having broken the older boys feeling of unease.

Below them, the leader, Suoh Mikoto glanced back up at the incline where the two boys were hiding. Misaki glanced back, refusing to accept that the _Red King_ or whoever the guy was knew they were up there. Ryousuke seemed not to notice, and Misaki didn't mind. Despite Ryousuke's description of the gang and the obvious tension that had surrounded him once he realized who they could be dealing with, Misaki had failed to feel the same fear. Instead, what he felt was excitement and awe. The red king didn't feel evil, although he certainly looked somewhat terrifying. If anything Suoh Mikoto simply looked imposing, but it was the fiery aura that Misaki felt upon making eye contact with the king moments before that assured him of his goodness. This made it hard to believe they were dealing with the most feared gang in Shizume, but even so…

The sudden commotion below them pulled Misaki out of his trance as Ryousuke shot upright. The five shadows hadn't moved, and if Misaki squinted hard enough he swore he could see the red king smile. The front line of the group of five appeared to consist of the king himself, Kusanagi and Kamamoto, while the brown or blonde haired man and the remaining shadow retreated and remained at the back. Before an angry stampede of figures emerged, as though they had only just now taken notice of the rivals standing outside their base. Misaki heard the click and pop of a shotgun being loaded, while a crash signified the use of other, more rustic style weapons. On impulse, he clutched the handle of his bat tighter, while in his other hand his fingers enclosed around the front rim of his board. Beside him Ryousuke had also become tense, picking up his bat and rising up slowly to a crouch, ready to move if he needed to.

'It's starting,' the older boy breathed and as Misaki looked down he could see the blonde was right. The Nishigawa gang had begun to respond, their own leader evident towards the back of the offensive group. He stood proudly, yet far away from the action.

'Who th' fuck was supposed to be on watch?' he screamed at his subordinates. 'Who th' fuck let the fucking Homra up on us like that, yer bunch of idiots! Kill them!'

Nishigawa responded with a roar, at least 20 men running towards Homra. However none of them made a move. Misaki saw the bartender, Kusanagi, glance at his leader, as though asking for his permission. Mikoto only grunted, which Misaki took for a yes as the bartender smiled and motioned towards the younger Kamamoto who grimaced in response. The three turned to the approaching Nishigawa and suddenly there was a massive **_roar_** loud enough that Misaki swore it tore straight through his skull. Clenching his eyes tightly and clamping his hands over his ears Misaki tried to suppress the sound but it continued like a echo, resonating through his cranium, pushing against his tightly pressed hands, as though it was imprinted in his memory. The sound left a _whooshing_ like impact on his ears that had begun to ring. Creaking his eyes open Misaki gasped as he beheld what appeared like a wall of red fire before the Red King, a wall that blazed and roared with all the anger Misaki could have imagined. It was a fire that could consume anything in its path, turn anything and everything into ash or worse. The flames roared and licked their way through the air, winding around the bodies of Homra like loyal pets, protecting their masters. At the head of the group stood Suoh Mikoto, his arms held outstretched as though he was giving away the flames. His chest protruding proudly forward with hardly any effort at all he appeared to guide the flames so they surrounded himself and his comrades, as well as swallowing the approaching members of Nishigawa.

Nishigawa roared in both fear and pain, their advance stopping abruptly. Behind the crowd their leader, eyes wide with fear, fumbled in panic and pulled out a small handgun.

'Don't move!' he shrieked, pointing the gun at the King.

Mikoto lazily looked over, his flames succumbing slightly. Beside him Kusanagi bent his head to light a cigarette using the still roaring red flames.

'You move and I'll shoot!' the Nishigawa leader threatened. His subordinates had begun to flee, a few brave ones scrambling to surround their terrified leader. Watching with fascination, Misaki saw the Red King smile as he dropped his arms. However as he did so the flames remained, instead growing bright and more intense. Dropping the butt of his cigarette to the ground and stamping it out with the heel of his shoe, the blond bartender stepped forward.

'Hey so, you guys are goin' have to give us some information now,' Kusanagi called to the quivering crowd before him. The leader, although trembling, stood his ground.

'I'm telling you nothing, Homra punks!' he spat.

Kusanagi merely smiled again and lit another cigarette, clicking his fingers so a spark appeared between his thumb and forefinger.

'Well, that's a right shame,' Kusanagi sighed. 'Because it's got to do with Satsujin now, trying to steal your territory.'

Dumbfounded the Nishigawa leader stared at the bartender.

'Satsujin?' he asked.

'Yeah, they're mad at Shidou cause he seems to have let you take this pretty area so easily. So you might want to go and tell us how he let you do just that, hm?'

'Shidou?' the man gasped. 'You mean Shiro-do?'

'You don't know him?'

'You're sayin' the great Shiro-do let us have this place? We won against Satsujin?' With this the coward leader beamed brightly, seeing his remaining subordinates follow suit. A few cheers ensued, with rounds of: 'We beat Satsujin! We beat Satsujin!'

'Ahh, those idiots,' Kusanagi mumbled. 'Mikoto, what should we do? They haven't worked it out.'

The Red King glanced at the exultant leader for a moment before turning sharply to where Ryousuke and Misaki sat. Following his line of vision Kusanagi suddenly swore loudly. Behind them the brown/blond haired man (Misaki still wasn't sure) exclaimed, 'Satsujin!'

All of Homra turned towards Ryousuke and Misaki's position, the pair staring back dumbfounded. Suddenly Misaki heard footsteps directly behind him. Crying out he spun around only to be faced with a pair of black boots and the tip of a baseball bat. Ryousuke pounced, running into the crowd behind them, swinging his bad furiously. Still in a state of shock at the sudden confrontation, Misaki could only stare.

'Misaki, get up!' Ryousuke screamed, thrusting his bat forward. There were at least 10 men, half the number of Nishigawa, but five times more powerful. Frozen in shock Misaki stared up at the man above him, eyes wide with fear. He'd been in fights before but there had never been any doubt about his power then. He'd been surrounded by his friends, the comrades of Shiro-do and the great leader himself. But this time it was him and Ryousuke – two children against 10 fully grown men.

Ryousuke was struggling. He had seemingly knocked one guy out, taking advantage of the gangs movement as they moved down the incline and around the back of the Nishigawa warehouse to the south end. Now only a few men remained, and rather than attack they were watching the two boys with curiosity, as though waiting for them to make the move. Ryousuke grabbed hold of Misaki's shirt and yanked him up. Still in a state of shock the ginger didn't struggle. The hold on his bat slipped and it fell with a soft thud onto the dirt below. His skateboard already lay forgotten on the ground.

'Misaki, keep it together!' Ryousuke yelled, shaking him. Pulling the younger boy behind him, Ryousuke held his bat up threateningly.

Misaki glanced behind him, seeing the rest of Satsujin had disappeared either behind or within the Nishigawa warehouse. Remaining members of Nishigawa itself were scrambling to flee, fearful of the sudden appearance of the Satsujin. Spotting the Red King amongst the chaos Misaki caught eye contact. His knees began to shake and Misaki realized how weak he had been. Clinging on to Ryousuke like he was his mother, unable even to lift up his own bat. The Red King only watched him, remaining traces of his aura from earlier spitting and hissing and it continued to surround him. Suddenly, Misaki saw the Red King's eyes flash, with anger or surprise he wasn't sure, and he began as though to race up the incline to where Misaki and Ryousuke stood. Beside him Kusanagi had the same reaction, motioning to fellow members to head up. But it was too late.

Ryousuke was shoved away, leaving Misaki alone before the remaining men. The ginger called to him, yelping in surprise. He tried to bend down and grab his bat in defense but a cold hand suddenly clamped around his head. For a second he felt nothing but then a blinding flash resonated behind his eyes, pain zipping through his body from his skull right to the tips of his fingers. As if in slow motion Misaki fell through the air, falling hard on his knees before toppling sideways into the dirt. His eyes remained open and staring, his limbs numb and useless. The cold hand was removed and a green light exploded in the sky, hot and electric the light quickly enveloped the group and the warehouse, clashing violently against the aura of the Red King who had yet to reach the incline. A roar as loud as before resonated across the sky and just as quickly as it had appeared, all colour faded and Misaki was left to nothingness.

**Author's Note  
**hello again! thank you to all the people who followed, favourited and reviewed the first chapter. this is my first fic ever and you have no idea how much your support means to me. i hope you enjoy this chapter as much as the first, and that you stay tuned for chapter three :3 (and if you're like me and like angst dun worry i am getting to that i promise, destroying characters lives is my favourite thing (－ｏ⌒) )


	3. Chapter 3

Summary: 'Homra. The the most feared gang in Shizume City. And that guy up the front – that's Suoh Mikoto, the almighty red king.'  
Yata Misaki has always wanted something more out of his boring, middle school life, when suddenly in early spring his wish comes true. Surrounded by crooks and gangs Misaki is thrown into a dangerously new world, one controlled by supposed kings wielding enormous power. Then one night he comes face to face with the real thing, the Red King himself, and in an instant Misaki's life changes in ways he could never have imagined.

AU, Misaki's joining of Homra and the beginning of his and Fushimi's friendship. Later angst and violence and stuff because angst and violence is fun :3

**Chapter 3**

Ryousuke slowly peeled his eyes open, blinking rapidly in the dim light. A man was standing over him, cigarette in one hand and a mobile phone in the other. His face was reflected in the purple tinted shades covering the man's eyes, a large bruise running along his temple and his slightly swelling eye socket. Blinking even more furiously, Ryousuke pushed himself up into a sitting position, only to fall back down on his back.

'Ugh, what happened?' he said, glancing up at the unfamiliar man above him. Frowning, the man flipped open his phone.

'Mikoto? Yeah, he's all right. There's no one else here. They're in the warehouse now, nothin' but snacks and baseball bats. Whatever it was it worked, we never would have figured the greens would come out. Gotcha.'

The man hung up and glanced back at Ryousuke.

'You need some help getting up?' he asked. Ryousuke shook his head, ignoring the painful throbbing. Using his elbows he tried pushing himself up again, scrambling slowly to his feet. Planting his feet firmly in the ground he raised his head at the man and gasped.

'Kusanagi Izumo!' he exclaimed. The bartender raised his eyebrows.

'You know my name?'

'You're Homra.'

'Ah, that's why.' The man smiled. 'You should get back to Shidou, we'll take over now.'

Suddenly Ryousuke realized. 'Misaki? Where'd he go?'

'Misaki?' Kusanagi looked puzzled for a moment. Eyebrows creasing with sympathy, he said, 'Don't worry about it. We'll bring him back to you safe and sound.'

Ryousuke stared aghast for a moment. He checked his watch. _12:45. How long was I out for?_ Looking down he saw Misaki's skateboard. A horrible feeling of dread suddenly fell on him as he realized the younger boy must not have left of his own accord. Noticing this Kusanagi placed a hand on his shoulder, leaning down to Ryousuke's eye level.

'He'll be fine. Mikoto and Homra are strong. No one can beat the Red Clan.'

Staring into those eyes behind the purple glasses, Ryousuke felt reassured. All unease he had about Homra left him. The man removed his arm and turned to make his way back down the incline.

'Totsuka, any luck?'

'Nothing yet, Kusanagi-san.'

As the bartender leapt agilely down the incline, he raised a hand out in farewell. Ryousuke stared, eyes wide with awe. He recalled Misaki's face when he first caught eye contact with the Red King. He had been angry, Shidou had give them explicit orders, but Misaki's eyes…

Ryousuke felt as though he finally understood the reason behind Misaki's decision to join with the famous Shiro-do. It wasn't to do with power, although he knew that was important in their dark world; no, to was to do with bonds. Staring into Mikoto's eyes and watching the fire deep within, the symbol of his power and might, Misaki had seen something beyond power and beyond the connections he had made under Shidou. He and seen something immensely warm and welcoming. Like the protective embrace a family gives. A pang of loneliness suddenly twisted inside him, and Ryousuke hurriedly banished the thoughts away. _But I thought we were his family_?

Ryousuke shook his head. It didn't matter. He had to return to Shidou and the others so they could save Misaki. He had to protect his family.

Misaki awoke to voices above him.

'_…10 000? You can't be serious, that much for one strain? That's ridiculous, no strain is worth that little.'_

_'Last one clocked 10 million, bit of a downer compared, eh?'_

_'Sure this one isn't 10 million?'_

_'Oi, the King'll have a fit if he hears you badmouthing his prize.'_

_'You sure this is even the right one, don't look like what we were asked for.'_

_'Nah, this isn't it. This is the bait.'_

_'For who?'_

_'For him.'_

Someone kicked Misaki hard in the stomach.

'Oi! Brat, you awake?' While trying to regain his breath and holding his stomach in pain, Misaki looked up and stared in the face of a middle aged man with greying brown hair and a cigarette hanging out of the side of his mouth.'

'Aoi, bring him here.'

A hand grabbed the front of his shirt and Misaki was lifted roughly to his feet. He struggled, clenching tightly at the arm holding him in an attempt to pull them off. But he was too weak. Looking up he saw the face of the same man who had kicked him. Beyond him was a crowd of others. They varied in ages and looks, however they all shared one thing in common – a green strip on the outside right sleeve of their shirts. Looking closely at the arm holding him Misaki saw the same strip tattooed on the inside of the middle-aged man's wrist.

'Whaaa – who are you guys?' Misaki spluttered as he struggled to stay on his feet.

The man gripping him by the arm laughed and tugged him forward, causing the boy to stumble. 'Got involved with old Shidou and didn't even know about us, huh?' The man laughed again. 'That wasn't too smart. You know Shidou's been scheming with the greens all this time, right?'

'Greens?' Misaki said. His head was pounding. 'Who're –'

He was yanked to he feet again. Misaki found himself standing in front of another man about the same age as Shiro-do. This man had black hair and eyes as green as an emerald. They pierced the semi darkness, right into Misaki's own. He trembled slightly. He had gotten himself into some serious shit, that was for sure. Everything about the emerald eyed man suggested power. Like the Red King, there was an aura about him - a hazy green glow pulsing with every breath. The tension in the room rose and Misaki felt it like an enormous wave of pressure. The throbbing in his head worsened and his gaze went hazy. He was afraid.

'Satsujin,' the emerald-eyed man said, turning his gaze away from Misaki. 'My name is Midori. You belong to Shidou, is that right?' The man spoke in a very formal manor, unfamiliar to Misaki who was used to the casual slang of his fellow gang mates or classmates. Too stunned to speak, Misaki could only stare dumbly.

'Shidou-san probably hasn't mentioned me; he doesn't like people knowing our relationship.'

'Relationship?' Misaki questioned. He couldn't imagine what sort of relationship Shiro-do would have with anyone outside of one of his subordinates. Was this man family?

'I'm his brother,' Midori answered, as though reading Misaki's thoughts. The boy jumped, earning another snicker from the man still clutching his arm tightly.

'B-brother?' Misaki stutter, not quite comprehending. 'You mean, Shidou-san if _your_ brother. Shidou-san has a brother?'

'You dumb or what?' the man holding him snapped, yanking him again. 'Of course he has a brother, that's what the war is all for, y'know?'

Misaki shook his head. _War?_ He thought. _Does that mean with Homra and Nishigawa too?_

'I see this is all very confusing for you,' Midori said softly. He stepped forward, crouching slightly in order to reach Misaki's height. 'We don't want any trouble, really. We just need to get someone's attention and you are just perfect for the job.'

'Eh, why me?'

'Because Shidou requested it.'

'Yeah,' the man beside him said, 'get his attention, get Homra's attention, get our job done, that right Midori?'

Midori nodded.

'All anyone wants around here is the damn job done, how about it Misaki? Will you help us get the job done?' Midori stood, Misaki only now realizing the astonishing difference in height. Like earlier Midori has an aura of immense power. The green haze that pulsed and hung around him grew stronger and brighter, the light of his eyes glinting menacingly. A roar filled Misaki's ears and he yanked his arm free in an effort to cover his eyes. He scrunched his eyes tightly shut. The roar surrounded him, pressure pushing on all sides. He felt himself pressed onto his knees, unable to withstand the force any longer. Blinking his eyes open he was only met with blinding emerald light and with that immense pain. Misaki screamed, agony raging through his body. What was this pain? He had felt it before. First behind his eyes; spreading through his head, chest, arms and legs, right to the tips of his fingers and toes. Agony, like a million volts. His throat began to ache, his ear drums feeling as though they were about to burst.

A voice called out beyond, a flash of red, a painful jab in his side followed by an explosion in the distance. He was suddenly surrounded by a familiar warmth, something recent. What was that?

_Where am I?_

_Where did this pain go?_

Somewhat blinded and in a panic Misaki scrambled to his feet. Staring blindly around him he saw shadows, people running, fighting, falling. A clash of red and green burst his vision and he turned, ducked through a doorway and ran into the rain and down along the streets.

Behind him in the warehouse stood Kusanagi Izumo about to call out to the boy, however he soon disappeared into the night and the bartender could only return to the fighting.

One hand pressed against his injured side the other clutched tightly around his phone Misaki ran through the rain, down the empty city streets. Against his ear, his phone continued to ring, over and over again. It was like silence – the noise was empty.

'Fuck!'

Pulling the phone away from his ear he quickly hit redial. Again the phone continued to ring. No one picked up.

'C'mon, Okaasan. Answer the phone!' Shouting made his side hurt more and for a moment he had to force himself to stop and catch his breath. If only he had his board with him, if only he hadn't lost Ryousuke. Should he go back to Shidou..?

The last few hours were a haze. Clash of colours and the most agony he had ever been in. What the fuck was going on? Misaki desperately wanted to find Ryousuke and report to Shidou. He needed answers. Once his eyes had readjusted to the dim, street lit night he was able to pull out his phone. 15 missed calls, 10 messages. All from his mother. Something was horribly wrong.

Misaki decided. His mother came first. Clenching his teeth Misaki ran again, sprinting through alley's and side streets towards his home.

When he finally reached it the rain was pounding heavier than Misaki could remember. He was completely drenched, his white shirt sticking to his slight frame, his hair dripping into his eyes. Stopping for a moment to regain his breath Misaki looked up to his floor of the building, see the light to his bedroom shining brightly against the late city lights. Cursing, he hurried into the building.

'Okaasan, I'm – ' The kitchen was empty. Dripping in the doorway Misaki stared around in bemusement. All the lights were on. A bag lay on the kitchen counter, it's content spilled carelessly across it's surface. The lamp in the living area had been knocked over, the glass from the broken bulb shattered on the floorboards.

'Okaasan…' Misaki called softly. He made his way slowly into the apartment, peering down the hallway. It was empty. Listening he heard raised voices. Suddenly panicking, Misaki raced down the hallway into his mother's room. Throwing the door open he barged into the room read to attack anyone one who even dared touch his mother –

'Eh? –'

He was met with a strong fist in his face.

Misaki went flying back out of the room, landing with a loud **thud** into the wall behind him. He head smacked against the surface, a bright light erupted behind eyes as he sank uselessly to the ground. The pain was blinding, both behind his head and his jaw and nose. Blood dripped down his face and onto his soaking white shirt. Sinking to the floor Misaki tried to raise head but couldn't, instead gasping in pain and shock.

'Misaki!' a frightened woman's voice called, but it was following by a shriek and another thud. Misaki heard footsteps approach him. He tried to open his eyes, tried to raise his head…

'Pathetic.' A man's voice, one strangely familiar.

'No,' Misaki said. Finally raising his head he wiped the blood from his nose, leaving a dark red streak on the sleeve of his shirt.

A man stood over him, like the man had done in the warehouse. _Pathetic_, _this is who Shidou let's in these days?_

_You're weak._

_Worthless._

_Waste of my time._

_Your usefulness is running out._

Unwanted tears welled in Misaki's eyes and he blinked furiously to get rid of them. This couldn't be happening. There was no way –

A kick into his stomach made him cry out, his head again smacking into the wall behind him. He struggled to escape, turning swiftly to the side so he could stand up, but another kicked forced his down onto his face.

He was pulled up roughly by one arm and made to stand. He was pushed hard against the wall, the man's hand bundled in his wet shirt as he stared deep into Misaki's eyes. Just outside his field of vision, Misaki saw his mother staring. She was crying, eyes filled with tears but she did nothing. Misaki's eyes pleaded with her. _Help me_. _He's too strong, help me_. But nothing. She did nothing.

'You didn't go running after Shidou after all, that's a shame,' the man said. He leaned in so as to whisper in Misaki's ear. 'Not that he would've done you much good anyway.'

Misaki said nothing. Using his free hands he grabbed the man's forearms and clenched tightly, pushing him away with all the strength he had left. As he did so he kicked out sharply, the toe of his sneakers connected with the man's shin. Grunting in surprise the man stumbled backwards and in a single moment Misaki was able to pull free.

Suddenly confused about his next action Misaki stared helpless at his mother, still standing dumbly in the hallway. The tears had dried now, only the tracts remaining on her pale cheeks. She watched Misaki desperately but still did nothing as the man grabbed the back of her son's head and smashed it onto the wall in front of him. More blinding white pain, more dizziness.

Misaki was falling –

The man held him up –

His body was being shaken, footsteps, a thud –

He was thrown to the ground.

Kicks, one after another into his stomach, he was gasping for air –

Can't breathe –

_Okaasan.._

_Okaasan –_

_Help me, help –_

Pain laced through his side as the man found the already tender spot already made by the Satsujin member. Misaki cried out sharply, earning a laugh from the man above him. Crouching down the man placed a hand on Misaki's injured side. Whimpering softly, Misaki clenched his eyes shut to stop the forming tears from escaping.

'Open your eyes.'

The man squeezed slightly. Misaki's eyes flew open as he squealed in pain, struggling backwards in order to move away from the man, however he simply placed a strong hand on one shoulder, holding the boy in place.

'Look at me, Misaki.'

Misaki looked up. A tear escaped as he raised his head and he saw the man smile. He stared into light brown eyes. They looked familiar, similar to –

'Misaki, you failed us.'

'Eh?'

_How does he know my name? Why is he speaking so familiarly? Okaasan, how do you know this man? What's going on?_

'How long have you known?' the man asked.

'Known what?'

The hand on his side tightened suddenly and Misaki screamed in pain.

'How long have you known?' the man screamed, the hand clenching tighter.

'I don't know! I don't know what you mean! Please, stop, STOP!'

A knee collided with his side. Misaki screamed again. His tears were flowing freely now, dripping down his cheeks and chin. He tried to raise his arms in defense but it was useless. Large hand's slammed them down. He felt the knee again.

The pain was tearing through him, splitting him open. He hadn't felt pain like this before. Black dots danced before his eyes, his head was pounding, his side burning like he was on fire. The man continued to stare down at him, rage lighting up his eyes.

Suddenly, the man let go of Misaki's wrists and stood up. He turned to Misaki's mother who was still watching silently. He whispered something to her and she nodded. Misaki tried to catch her eye, but she wouldn't look at him. It was as though she couldn't.

'You've served your purpose,' the man stated. 'You've served your purpose for Shidou as well. What, you didn't know? Shiro-do betrayed you. He only used you to get to me. Well, it didn't work, he over estimated our relationship but whatever. I don't need you anymore,' and his foot pounded down before Misaki had any time to react, stomping hard on Misaki's right shoulder. A loud **pop** followed by a nail biting crack resonated, then followed by Misaki's piercing scream sounded. Raging pain lased down his shoulder blade and down his arm. Misaki tried to roll over but couldn't, the pain was too great and he was too dizzy and shocked from the pain and the blows to his head. The foot came down again and he skidded out of the way, the foot connecting with his injured side instead. He screamed again, struggling, crawling away. He couldn't put pressure on his right arm. Burning pain laced up as he did and his body fell with a slump to the ground.

'Okaasan!' he screamed. 'Make him stop, Okaasan! Help me! Please, help –'

'I'm sorry, Misaki.' Her soft voice. Misaki went quiet. 'I can't help you this time.'

And after everything that had happened, everything he had thought he was living for – all shattered with her words. _Not this time_. This time, when he needed her most, in his weakest state.

_Okaasan –_

_Why, please –_

_I'm sorry, forgive me, Okaasan._

_I'll stay home, I'll help out, Okaasan –_

_Please let me stay,_

_Don't make me go,_

_I'm sorry._

Misaki's life shattered.

Scrambling to his feet, Misaki leapt up, holding his injured arm with his left. He ran to the door, skidding around the corner before bounding swiftly down the stairs. He bumped into the walls, the rail, skidded down the stairs. He couldn't see clearly, he vision was still spinning, the pain still throbbing. He couldn't feel his fingers, but the burning pain at his shoulder was still violent. His nose was still bleeding, his side still pulsing –

Misaki fell out of the building and into the rain. _Alone_. _What does being alone mean?_

**Authors Note**

WOW IM REALLY SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE THIS FOR YONKS BUT HERE YOU GO HAVE SOME VIOLENCE


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